Retailers blur line between Thanksgiving, Black Friday

Earlier start by many stores may turn off some shoppers

by Max Jarman - Nov. 12, 2011 12:00 AMThe Arizona Republic

Shoppers used to eagerly await the doors opening at 6 a.m. Then, the frenzy crept a few hours earlier, to 4 a.m. Now, shoppers are most likely going to forgo the post-meal catnap and head out to the stores soon after digesting Thanksgiving dinner.

Midnight is the new 4 a.m. for Black Friday this year.

Retailers continue to push up the clock on the start of the traditional post-Thanksgiving shopping marathon.

Target, Best Buy, Macy's, Kohl's, Old Navy and most major Phoenix-area malls have announced openings just after the stroke of midnight on Nov. 25, making Black Friday an extension of Thanksgiving rather than the stand-alone extravaganza it has been in the past. As in previous years, a few retailers are opening on Thursday, as well.

Instead of going to bed and waking up bleary-eyed at 2 a.m. to make the 4 a.m. openings, many shoppers will simply stay up for the late-night deals.

Kathy Jackson, a self-described "deal bloodhound," plans to shop on Black Friday this year for the first time as a result of the late-night hours.

"I won't get up early, but I'll stay up late," she said, adding that she plans to line up at Walmart for one of the discounter's flat-screen television deals.

The midnight openings could be a boon for Black Friday sales, given the huge numbers of night owls. But it also could turn off some shoppers, who would prefer to stay home Thanksgiving night, and create ill will among employees who have to work on the holiday. Consumers, analysts and retailers offer differing opinions.

"Finally, they get it," said Penny Rogers of Phoenix, who is a regular Black Friday shopper. "I'd rather shop at midnight than 4 a.m."

Nicki Martin, also of Phoenix, said she will pass up the midnight deals this year and head out as usual for the 4 a.m. specials. "I have young children, and midnight doesn't work," she said

Best Buy executives said they were apprehensive about the early opening because of the impact on its employees but felt pressured to do so to remain competitive.

"If consumers perceive that retailers are sacrificing customer service and employee goodwill to grab sales before competitors, the midnight openings could backfire," said Laurie Brown, an independent retail-consumer analyst.

Allowing employees to celebrate Thanksgiving was a factor in J.C. Penney's plans to stick with its traditional 4 a.m. opening at its non-mall locations.

"We know our associates value the time they spend with their friends and families on Thanksgiving, which is a big reason why we decided to continue opening our stores at 4 a.m. on Black Friday," J.C. Penney spokeswoman Sarah Kelleher said.

J.C. Penney stores at malls that open earlier will open with the mall.

Target spokeswoman Donna Egan said that the retailer intends to give employees holiday pay for working Thanksgiving and that customer feedback about the planned early opening has been positive.

Meanwhile, Phoenix-area mall operator Westcor said eight of its 12 Arizona malls will open just after midnight on Black Friday this year, compared with two last year.

Tempe's Arizona Mills shopping center will open at midnight this year. Outlets at Anthem will get a jump on everybody and open at 10 p.m. Thanksgiving night, as they have done in recent years.

Retailers perceive consumers might ratchet back spending this season because of the nation's slow economic recovery and are eager to grab sales ahead of their competitors, said Kathy Grannis, a spokeswoman for the National Retail Federation in Washington D.C.

Walmart will offer its top toys, home and clothing deals at 10 p.m. Thanksgiving night and its electronics door-busters at midnight.

Walmart stores are open 24 hours, but the retailer traditionally held off on offering its door-busters until 5 a.m. Black Friday.

"Our customers told us they would rather stay up late to shop than get up early," Walmart's chief merchandising officer, Duncan MacNaughton, said in a statement.

Kmart stores will stay open until 9 p.m. Thanksgiving and reopen at 5 a.m. Black Friday. Select Gap stores and most Old Navy stores will be open regular hours Thanksgiving Day, then reopen at midnight Black Friday.

Sears got a different message from its customers. The retailer stayed open Thanksgiving day last year, but this year will close for the holiday and open at 4 a.m. Black Friday.

"Instead of following the pack, we are listening to our customers, who said they'd prefer to get up early," said Tom Aiello, a spokesman for Sears Holdings in Chicago.

Last year, the retail federation reported that 212 million people went shopping during the three-day Black Friday event. Grannis believes the midnight openings could turbo-charge the event by drawing in shoppers who traditionally slept in, favoring sleep over the early-morning deals.

"Data suggests that a lot of people like to shop late, and retailers are looking to take advantage of it," she said.

The midnight openings likely will change the strategy of the line-sitters who camp out to snag one of the usually limited number of Black Friday door-busters. Instead of setting up camp after Thanksgiving dinner, some may choose to tailgate the traditional holiday meal at the mall parking lot.

This year, many of the deals that previously were kept close to the vest until shortly before Thanksgiving already have been announced.

Walmart told its Facebook friends last week and everyone else Thursday that it will offer an Xbox 360 4GB with Kinect Console and $50 gift card for $200 to customers Thanksgiving night and an Emerson 32-inch LCD television for $188 at midnight Black Friday.

Best Buy sent its deals to Facebook friends on Thursday. They include a Dynex 24-inch LCD television for $80 and a Samsung Laptop computer for $300.

To make the wait easier, Best Buy will be screening a recently released feature-length film outside its stores starting at 9 p.m. Thanksgiving night.

Black Friday heavyweight Target got the ball rolling Oct. 28, when it announced its 1,700 stores, including 48 in Arizona, would open at midnight on Black Friday this year instead of 4 a.m. as in the past.

Kohl's and Macy's quickly followed suit in announcing midnight openings. Best Buy joined in last week, and Walmart came on board Thursday.

So far, Toys "R" Us, which opened at 10 p.m. Thanksgiving Day last year, has not announced a Black Friday launch time.

Department-store operators Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue considered midnight openings but will stick to their traditional 8 a.m. start times on Friday. Penney's is staying with 4 a.m.

And although retail analyst Brown sees the potential for the early openings backfiring, she acknowledges they could reinvigorate Black Friday.

"It adds a party atmosphere and makes it more fun," she said. "It could even be something the family could do."

Grannis, of the retail federation, said, "Last year, we saw Black Friday and Thanksgiving converging, and this year, they have met."

Shoppers wait to get into Macy's in Scottsdale on Black Friday last year, the first time the department store opened at 4 a.m. This year, Macy's will open to holiday shoppers just after the stroke of midnight on Nov. 25.

More on this topic

Earlier hours

Retailers continue to push up the start of Black Friday shopping. Here are some examples of opening times on the day after Thanksgiving compared with last year:

Store: 2010 opening / 2011 opening

Walmart*: 5 a.m. Friday / 10 p.m. Thursday

Target: 4 a.m. / 12:01 a.m. Friday

Best Buy: 5 a.m. / 12:01 a.m.

Macy's: 4 a.m. / 12:01 a.m.

Kohl's: 3 a.m. / 12:01 a.m.

Toys "R" Us: 10 p.m. Thursday / NA **

Desert Sky Mall: > 4 a.m. Friday / 12:01 a.m.

Fiesta Mall: 4 a.m. / 12:01 a.m.

Paradise Valley Mall: 4 a.m. / 12:01 a.m.

Superstition Springs Center: 4 a.m. / 12:01 a.m.

* Walmart is open 24 hours but offered door-busters at 5 a.m. last year.

** At press time, Toys "R" Us had not announced an official Black Friday opening time for its stores.